


times are changing (we are changing with them)

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm really sorry for this, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Multi, Romantic Soulmate, Soulmate Tattoos, There's trigger warnings inside so please read before continuing with the story, and I was in a down mood so this happened, but it has a happy ending, but my friend wanted angst, platonic soulmate, soulmate!AU, temporary memory loss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:31:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>As one’s world grows bigger, the other’s begin to shrink.</i>
</p><p>Jeno and Jaemin; Jaemin and Jeno - that’s how it always was, right? And how it was always supposed be. So why was it changing now? Ever since Jeno found out he had two more soulmates, Jaemin has been feeling left out - left behind so suddenly that he isn’t quite sure what to do anymore. And it’s not fair. Jaemin's never had someone of his own before Jeno.</p><p>
  <i>“Have you ever had that feeling where something you've always wanted, something that you wouldn't exchange for anything in the world, be finally given to you - and then suddenly taken away, never to be given back no matter how much or how hard you try?”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A short introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What's In a Name?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990276) by [HansoldMySoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansoldMySoul/pseuds/HansoldMySoul). 



> This is a sort of spinoff/based off piece to HandsoldMySoul's story, What's In a Name? It focuses more on the dark side(?) of soulmate relationships, of how misunderstandings and miscommunications can cause a lot of pain.
> 
> (Edit: 160929) I'm still halfway through writing the story because of writer's block and college. So I thought, instead of posting the story as a whole, I'll post chapters instead.
> 
> As for the trigger warnings, I'll put them in the Notes part of the chapters that contain them. So... Please read the trigger warnings before reading the chapter (if they have)!!

“It’s not uncommon to have more than one soulmate; it means you have a lot of people who love you and will stay with you no matter what. But you only have one romantic soulmate - the rest are your platonic soulmates. Platonic soulmates are more than just best friends. They’re people who, even though you're not romantically involved, you're destined to spend the rest of your life with. In the case of romantic soulmates, however, if something bad happens to your other half, your shared Mark will fade and your heart will be in pain, because only they can make you feel whole.”

  


_"Mom, if there are two kinds of soulmates, how will I know if Nana is my romantic soulmate? You said romantic soulmates make each other feel whole, and that if something bad happens, our hearts will be in pain. So how will I know if Nana is in pain if we're always together and nothing bad ever happens to him? Not that I want something bad to happen to him!"_

_"Well, you'll just have to wait and see, then. If the universe wants you two to be together, then you'll always find a way to be with each other, no matter how hard the trials will be."_

  


_**"One must be lost in order to be found."**_

  


Jeno is fifteen when he finds out he has two more soulmates. Jaemin is fifteen when he feels like his world has shattered.


	2. A sneak peak into Jaemin's childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Children can be more cruel than adults.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger warning** for bullying and depression (they're just mentioned, but I'm putting this here just in case).

Jaemin had never really liked the concept of soulmates. It was because of soulmates that he was always bullied at school - everyone was born with their soulmate's name on their wrist, but Jaemin was born without one. He was the odd one out, the black sheep. He had no friends, therefore making him an easy target.

"Hey look! It's the freak!" They would whisper to one another, pointing at him as they sneered. Sometimes, a few would even push him around and trip him when he walked through the hallways. Not that he would do anything to stop them.

Because sticks and stones may break his bones, but words cannot hurt him. Or at least that's what he keeps telling to himself. As much as he wants to believe that, words _can_ hurt. More so than the physical pain they inflict on him.

"I heard that his real parents abandoned him when they found out he had no Mark."

"Oh? I hear they left him because he's so unlovable."

"Ah, that's so sad. Then again, I don't really care."

They weren't really off the mark. It was only his biological father who left them, and not for the same reasons his classmates would murmur about. No, it was because of soulmates.

The long and short of it is like this: Jaemin's mother and biological father were best friends since childhood, and while they weren't each other's soulmates, they fell in love, got married, and had him. But when Jaemin was two, his father left his mother for his soulmate. He never came back, and his mother was depressed. That was until she met her own soulmate, and they had Jisung.

If it was possible to fall in love with someone who _isn't_ your soulmate, why do soulmates exist? It was a question Jaemin would very much like to know the answer to. Then again, knowing the answer won't really change the way his classmates look at him. It would probably make them bully him more for thinking like that - for being such an anomaly.

So Jaemin resigns himself to just wait out the days.

_(Ignore the bullies, ignore the scorn. After all, what else can you do? Nothing. So just sit down and wait.)_

He knows he can't do it forever, but for now he can.


	3. a bike accident and a boy with raven hair

 

_Jaemin meets Jeno by chance on a Saturday._

Since it was a weekend and they had nothing better to do, seven year old Jaemin decided that it was time to teach his five year old brother how to ride a bicycle. After asking their parents for permission, the two headed out to the Han river, where the brunet proceeded to teach Jisung the basics of riding a bike. It was going well at first, but then there were people in the way, and Jisung was going too fast. Nobody told them the sidewalk near the river was a bad place to conduct bike lessons.

Needless to say, the younger boy got into an accident.

It wasn't as serious as it was worrying, but Jaemin panicked anyway. He called their parents to fill them in on what happened, all the while trying to get a whining Jisung on his back so that he could take him to a hospital to get checked on.

As they were sitting on the chairs in the hall, waiting for Jisung's doctor and their parents - Jisung finally feeling the aches and pains from his fall and sobbing silently - a boy wearing hospital clothes approaching them catches Jaemin's attention. Turning his head to look at the newcomer, Jaemin is met with a small, shy smile.

"Um... Hello." The boy says, timidly sitting down beside Jisung. The latter hiccups before fixing the raven a curious look. "... My parents... said not to talk to s-sturaingers-"

" _Strangers_ , Sungie." Jaemin cuts in, earning himself a pout from his brother and an amused look from the other boy.

"What hyung said but... Hi."

The stranger's smile widens at this, and he extends a hand to gently pat Jisung's head. "Why are you crying?" He asks. Jisung looks away, puffing out his cheeks in a pout. He wipes away his tears with a handkerchief. "I'm not crying!"

Raising an eyebrow at this, the raven lifts his gaze to lock eyes with Jaemin. He shrugs, but the smile on his face is half-fond and half-guilty. Fond because his younger brother is just too cute, and guilty because Jisung wouldn't be here crying in the first place if he taught the other in a more secluded area.

Silence envelops the three for a while after that; Jisung playing with the handkerchief, Jaemin staring off into the distance, frowning and seemingly in deep thought, and the raven racking his brain for something to cheer the siblings up (because he can sense the brunet silently blaming himself for whatever happened, and he could feel something in him - the same pull that made him approach the two - prompting him to make that frown go away).

Jaemin jolts in surprise, snapping out of his trance, when the raven suddenly snaps his fingers. He ignores his brother's little giggles in favor of giving the happily smiling male a curious stare. "What?" He finds himself asking when the boy doesn't say anything.

Smiling sheepishly, the boy replies. "Follow me. I have something I want to show you two."

Jaemin and Jisung glance at each other for a moment before following the white clad raven.

 


End file.
